


Step by Step

by Krammer



Category: TharnType the Series (TV)
Genre: Alpha Mew Suppasit Jongcheveevat, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Cute, Eventual Smut?, Fluff, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Mild being Mild, Omega Gulf Kanawut Traipipattanapong, Omega Verse, Slow Burn, Soft Gulf
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 16:55:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24070186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Krammer/pseuds/Krammer
Summary: "And have you seen your socks?" His head whipped so fast Gulf swore he heard something snap. Mild had this wide eyed look he often made when something unbelievable happened."What? What's wrong with my socks?" Gulf felt attacked at the sudden mention of his socks."They're cute! That's the problem. You're literally wearing a pair of baby blue duck socks, Gulf. How is that sane for a big bad alpha like you?"~~~Gulf has gotten tired of trying to correct people when they misunderstand that he is an alpha when he is in fact just a late bloomer omega who has yet to have his first heat.It takes a certain alpha to make Gulf accept the omega in him. But it'll take them step by step.[DISCONTINUED]
Relationships: Mew Suppasit Jongcheveevat/Gulf Kanawut Traipipattanapong
Comments: 226
Kudos: 668





	1. The Metamorphosis

**Author's Note:**

> Sooooo, this is gonna be my first non-oneshot work. Hope this goes well. Enjoy reading!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gulf is going through some changes and it takes Mild's loud mouth to notice it.

"Gulf, you know you can tell me anything, right?" his best friend, Mild, said out of the blue while they were walking back to their dorms after classes ended. Gulf raised a brow at him like he grew two heads.

"Yeah, why?" He answered but asked for an explanation. It was Mild's turn to look at him like he grew two heads.

"You serious? Nothing at all bothering you?" The man insisted.

"Nothing at all. What's up with you?" Gulf fought the urge to roll his eyes. Impatience nearly overruled him. He started getting more curious when Mild looked disbelieving and slightly nervous.

"Hey, is something wrong?" Gulf asked again.

"Well, yeah!" Mild answered with his head swinging and eyes wide. "I mean, look at you!" He threw both of his hands aggressively to point to Gulf's entirety.

Gulf always had an inkling his friend might be crazy. He just didn't expect it to be beyond the truth.

"Are you telling me I'm an alien or do you want to explain further?" He glared at Mild, a threat lacing his words. The other held his hands up in surrender.

"I shall explain further," he chose and let his hands drop to the straps of his black and neon orange backpack. Gulf had no idea what got into Mild's head when he decided to buy that horrendous excuse of a bag. He only let it be because Mild absolutely adored the thing. But that didn't mean he had any plans of accepting it. At least, it was quick to be seen when in a hurry.

"Something about you changed. I mean, you're still the same quiet glare, threatening hoe—" Mild discontinued that train of thought at the sight of Gulf balling his fist in the corner of his eye.

"Anyways!" Mild desperately escaped from danger. "Ever since last week, when we got back from the semester break, you've been wearing all these soft pastel sweaters and light colored anything."

"I don't," Gulf denied. He still wore the same clothes as he did before, he thought. He had noticed he wore sweaters a tad more frequently these days but it wasn't too bothering.

"Do you want me to reiterate what you're wearing as of the moment? You're wearing an oversized pastel pink cardigan over a duo tone black and white shirt tucked in cream colored pants. You even changed your black backpack for a canvas messenger bag!" Mild retorted.

"And what about that day before classes started, you dragged me to the mall. The mall of all places! You, Gulf who's had chronically bad allergies to malls for as long as I can remember, dragged me to one just to buy new sets of clothes. Clothes that come in all sorts of pastel colors and cute patterns. You even bought a new carpet and curtains!"

"Hey! I just bought new underwear. I needed those," the taller corrected.

"Yeah, and a year supply of sweaters! Thank fuck you decided to go for normal underwear, that's for sure." Mild shook his head as if he was reprimanding a child.

Gulf had gotten back from his parents’ place a day before he dragged Mild to the mall. As soon as he reached his dorm room and opened his baggage, he felt so weird. As if something was utterly amiss. His luggage didn’t look his. The whole room didn’t feel his. He couldn’t relax or do anything. In the end he didn’t finish unpacking. He vaguely remembered calling Mild the next day to help him buy things, initially exclusively underwear as his idiot self forgot to pack some. The shopping spree ended with him maxing his card. As soon as he got home, he got to work. It wasn’t until after he cleaned and changed the entire layout of his room did he finally settle. He got rid of his dark curtains with silky white ones and changed his mucky carpet with a fluffy beige one. He even changed his pillowcases and bedsheets, then, put potted plants up for decoration. By the time he was finished, his entire dorm room looked like it came out of a magazine. Of course, he didn’t tell Mild about that little bit of information.

"And have you seen your socks?" His head whipped so fast Gulf swore he heard something snap. Mild had this wide eyed look he often made when something unbelievable happened.

"What? What's wrong with my socks?" Gulf felt attacked at the sudden mention of his socks.

"They're cute! That's the problem. You're literally wearing a pair of baby blue duck socks, Gulf. How is that sane for a big bad alpha like you?"

Now, that really hit Gulf home. He grimaced at the ducks on his socks that peeked above his shoes as if they sinned greatly against him. His feet shuffled uncomfortably as his hands clutched at his bag. He hoped this conversation was not going somewhere he didn’t want to.

“Seriously though, you look so soft and cute. If you weren’t so huge, I would’ve thought you were an omega. Even I don’t dress as softly and I’m an omega,” Mild quoted which made Gulf’s worry increase. It was not the right time to have Mild doubt him. He stared menacingly at Mild. It wasn’t the same kind as the playful glares he normally shot at his best friend when he was being dumb. Instantly, Mild went quiet. He ran his forefinger and thumb along his lips mimicking a zipper closing.

It didn’t take long for Mild to switch the topic. He opted for talking about his terrifying professor who had “no chill,” as the shorter man liked to term it. Their conversation carried on one-sidedly with Mild's endless chatter and Gulf's seldom nod and uh-huh's, his mind circling around their previous subject. Eventually, they reached their dorm and said their goodbyes before going into their respective rooms. He lied on his bed that had been invaded by various plush toys during the span of a week. He hadn’t told Mild about his latest obsession with the soft things either. He’d been discreetly buying plush toys whenever he had the time or when his best friend wasn’t with him. The guy would flip if he saw this. Gulf hugged one he especially favored, a panda, and pondered about his worries.

Mild was right this time, as much as admitting it pained him. Gulf did dress differently. Before, Gulf stuck with dark colors. While it wasn't actually his favorite, the simple details it brought kept others from realizing he was an omega. Even Mild, his best friend, thought he was an alpha. And he planned to keep him from thinking otherwise because it was bothersome to keep on correcting people and it was generally less bothersome to be labeled as an alpha than an omega.

This little act all started when he presented as an omega in the summer when he turned 19, quite the late bloomer too. Most people presented earliest at 14 years old and latest at 16. Even as he presented, he was unlike any other omega. Omegas usually presented along with their first heat, but Gulf didn’t. He recalled feeling somewhat sluggish when he woke up that day but it hadn’t been overwhelming. His pheromones were so weak that it wasn’t until after spending the whole day playing football and having dinner at home, did his family notice the change. His classmates from back then still didn’t know he was an omega as well. They all thought he was an alpha due to his towering height and his fondness of playing sports.

At first, he thought of correcting them but didn’t in the end. Everyone praised him for being such a good alpha, a handsome alpha, a strong alpha, a model alpha that he pressured himself to keep the façade. Afraid that having them find out the truth would disappoint them. He went to university like that and before he knew it, three long years had already passed.

During that time, Gulf had yet to experience his first heat. His doctor told him that he was a rare case of a late bloomer and while it was a rare occurrence, it didn’t mean that it didn’t happen. He was advised to get hormone pills if it troubled him too much. To which he declined, preferring it to come to him naturally. He was quite grateful because he didn’t have to be too cautious with his pheromones. He just had to use some scent blockers that were really just for reassurance as his scent was antecedently faint. He kept suppressants with him all the time as well.

But back to the matter at hand. What could have triggered the change in Gulf? He tried retracing his steps to last week. He hadn’t felt any different when he went back to his hometown for the break. Though, he could say for sure the metamorphosis began when he got back to his dorm room. When he suddenly couldn’t handle the dull and solemn aura his room gave or when his bed suddenly felt similar to a cold rock. He urged himself to think back to the events before then.

The only thing his stupid brain could think of was that it rained somewhere within the timeframe between getting off the bus and reaching his dorm. But there had to be a gap in his memory as he recalled he arrived in his room dry despite not carrying an umbrella.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like it!


	2. Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seems as though Gulf is a pretty bad weather announcer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stayed up pretty late to finish this. Wanted to post it before the day ended but ALAS! It was impossible.

Gulf woke up surrounded by his army of plush toys and to the beeps of his alarm clock. Still wrapped in his blanket, his feet dragged him to the little corner in his room he made into a breakfast nook. He sat down with his mop of dark hair bopping limply up and down in an attempt to stay awake. It took him a few more minutes of spacing out into nothingness before he was able to will the sleep away from his eyes. He let go of his blanket against his bitter judgement and lazily proceeded to the shower.

It didn't take long before he had to face his closet. A morning contemplation he didn't see the necessity of if only it had been a normal day. But since today wasn't normal, brought about by Mild's keen observation of his abrupt fashion conversion, he needed to pay particular attention to what he'd be wearing. So as he scanned his closet full of pastels, creams, and whites, he used as much determination as needed to pick out a darker scheme.

He pulled out his much darker options of clothing that he had stuck in the deepest confines of his closet and laid them on his bed. The sight made his stomach lurch out of nowhere. He could feel the gloom wrap around him. Why did this affect him so negatively? It didn't make any sense. Did every omega feel like this when they wore dark clothes? No wonder most of them wore softer colors. Or he could have been thinking so with his lack of omegan knowledge. Maybe he needed to read those pamphlets they gave away in clinics on basic knowledge of the tertiary sex again.

As an act of rebellion and desperation, he grabbed a plain black shirt and a pair of dark wash jeans from the pile and put them on. A petty reason such as that wouldn't stop him. He was a determined guy, he could handle it. Those confident thoughts ceased the moment he looked at himself in the mirror. He couldn't stop the bile that reached his throat. He ran to the toilet at full speed and emptied the non-existent contents of his stomach as he had yet to eat breakfast. Only sour fluid dribbled past his lips. The flush of the toilet bowl signified the end of that unpleasant session.

_Fuck_. Gulf cursed, his thick brows knitted and head hung low in frustration. This couldn't be happening to him. Everything was going fine and dandy. Why did this clown him now? Couldn't this have waited after he graduated? When he had finally settled in and was ready to accept himself.

The conclusion of the morning ended with Gulf wearing a lavender hoodie, a pair of light blue jeans, and some white Adidas sneakers. Although it brought him a much better mood, he still headed to his classes with a sigh. He appreciated that Mild didn't bother him about his fashion choices though. Half the day passed mundanely for Gulf and before he knew it, it was already lunch.

"Let's go have lunch!" Mild urged him as he packed his things. The man wouldn't stop poking Gulf's sides. Albeit his annoying methods of coaxing, Mild never failed to pick him up for lunch even when they had different classes. It was one of the many qualities Gulf admired about his friend. But Gulf refused to tell him because Mild had a big enough head as it was.

Once they had food on their plates and sat comfortably at their usual table, both of them noticed an unusually large amount of people clustered around the table farthest from them. Mild was the first one to point it out.

"Whoa, that's one big aura over there. Wonder what's going on?" The omega pointed towards the general direction using his spoon. Truth be told, Gulf couldn't sense anything although he was an omega. It might have something to do with his repressed hormones.

Before Gulf could shrug at the other's curiosity, a bag flopped beside them, followed by Boat sitting on the empty seat next to Mild.

"Apparently, some celebrity alpha came in for the semester to finish his doctorate," he answered for the both of them.

"No wonder," Gulf shook his head.

"What took you so long?" Mild questioned. Boat sighed as his shoulders slumped exaggeratedly.

"The crowd that alpha gathered completely blocked the hallways. Took me ages to get here," he complained.

"Do you have any idea who he is?"

"Nope. I honestly don't want to bother but his charisma is off the charts. He's practically oozing. Even if you don't know him, he screams elite all over," Boat pointed out.

"Yeah, I could tell. His aura is pretty clear, even from here," Mild agreed with a nod as Gulf continued to eat his lunch in peace, choosing to just listen to his friends talk. They were used to his silence and understood that he wasn't much of a talker to begin with. In instances he didn't reply to them, they knew his ears were attentive so they didn't exclude him from any of their conversations.

"You okay though? I mean, you're bound to feel it a lot more since you're an omega, right?" Boat asked out of concern.

"Well, yeah. But I'm fine! I hang out with Gulf all the time and he's an alpha but nothing bad happens," he cheerfully replies and taps Gulf's back. Boat shot them a disbelieving look.

"You say so but Gulf's pheromones are so weak it's nearly imaginary. I wonder sometimes if he's even an alpha," he said.

Gulf was about to swallow a spoonful when his heart rate picked up at the statement but he remained quiet. This was the second time someone doubted him in the span of two days. Was his act beginning to crumble? Boat couldn't have found out, right? Perhaps it was only his paranoia speaking. He didn't know so he waited for Boat's next lines for confirmation.

"You sure you aren't a beta like me?" He turned to Gulf and asked jokingly. Gulf released a breath he didn't know he was holding. He replied to the other's drollery with a nervous shake of his head and a crooked closed lip smile.

"Come on, that's just a stupid question, Boat," Mild interrupted with an incredulous expression on his face.

Of course, Gulf didn't look the part. How could they conclude he was an omega so easily? He was too big, too tall. Not at all pretty and petite like the typical omega. He wasn't even as sweet and soft. Maybe if he looked at least a semblance of the adorable Mild, it would be sensible. His teetering self-esteem took shots from his own gun.

_No_.

Thinking like that didn't matter. Insecurities were worthless. If he faced the brighter side of things, being so un-omega-like brought him countless advantages. He didn't have to be subjected to the perverted stares lowlifes gave. He could handle himself well and didn't have to have an alpha assist him with anything. He was more independent. And as much as he loathed it, it was also less trouble to be an alpha. No amount of the society denying the inequality between the tertiary sexes could prove that it was truly gone. He received more privileges than betas and omegas as an alpha and he had experiences to back it up.

Having an omega friend like Mild served as additional proof. When they walked together or when they were just together in general, they received a lot of backlash from people. Gulf couldn't count the amount of times their friendship had been called inappropriate. Mild received a lot more though. They barked so many insults at him being an omega yet having no reservations or how unlucky his future mate would be. Everyone told them alphas and omegas can't be friends. It was solely either one or the other. Nothing in between. But Mild didn't let the comments bother him, so Gulf made it a point not to as well.

He hated how Mild got the short straw because he couldn't admit to being an omega. His friend didn't deserve it. So he vowed to protect him for as much and as long as he could. He would act like an alpha for Mild and shield him from anymore harm. As he was too much of a coward to be an omega, he would be a good alpha for his best friend instead.

"Quit playing with your food, Gulf," Mild scolded, making him snap out of his thoughts.

"Sure, mom," he teased.

"Darn right I'm your mom. Now quit playing and keep eating. You're as skinny as skinny can get. Fatten up or Mommy Mild will send you to the ranch," Mild retorted playfully. A grin present on both of their mouths.

"I'm not skinny. You see this?" Gulf ran both of his hands along his abdomen to his neck, as if advertising his body. "This is 100% lean muscle."

"Lean muscle my ass. You're all bone and skin. You aren't fooling anyone," the shorter male pinched Gulf's cheeks which caused a laugh to bubble past the latter's lips. Boat's hearty chuckle could be heard in the background.

"You guys are at it again. Making me feel like I'm not part of the friendship," he griped sarcastically. Mild whipped his head to his direction, a mischievous expression taking over his facial features.

"Ooh, I see you want some pinches too. Come here then," his fingers wiggled dangerously at the beta.

"Oh, would you look at the time! I'm gonna be late for class. Better go now. Bye!" Boat hurriedly excused himself.

"You coward!" Mild shouted after him which earned him a finger from the escapee. Gulf laughed.

"And you, eat quicker! Boat is right, we're gonna be late soon," he reminded.

"Okay, okay," Gulf replied and hastily stuffed whatever was left on his plate into his mouth. His cheeks puffed up due to the action.

"You look like squirrel," Mild laughed out loud. While Gulf chewed on the contents of his mouth, both of them frantically picked up their belongings. There was less than 10 minutes left before their next class began. 

On the way, they passed by the crowd. Mild wanted to get a glimpse of the person who caused the commotion but Gulf reprimanded him. They didn't have enough time for it. He tried to convince the smaller omega that it wasn't an interesting agenda and that he had to have better priorities in life.

"Come on, Mild. It's going to rain soon! The next class is in the farthest building, we can't get wet," he warned, dragging along his best friend by his shoulders.

"What? But it's scorching outside!" Mild was confused at Gulf's faulty weather forecast but allowed himself to be pulled away from the eye of the storm.

"Huh? What are you talking about? I can smell it from here."

Gulf was sure it was already raining outside at that point. Aside from the scent of wet soil and leaves, he could feel the goosebumps crawling on his skin which mostly happened to him everytime it rained. It had been like that for him since he was young. He was proven wrong, though, once they went out and saw the striking sun beating down on them.

"What's going on?" He mumbled to himself in pure and unadulterated disarray.

"I told you so. What's gotten into you? So random," Mild shook his head disapprovingly.

"I was so sure," Gulf stopped in his tracks and furrowed his brows.

"Better double check the weather app on your phone next time. It hasn't even rained for more than 2 weeks, Gulf," he said in a matter-of-fact tone and tapped the taller's shoulder. "Quick, let's get going!"

"Wait, did you say more than 2 weeks?" Gulf snapped his head to Mild who was already running ahead of him.

It couldn't be. Gulf swore it rained last week.

"Hey, Mild! Did you just say it hasn't rained for more than 2 weeks?!" He shouted and ran after the omega with the neon orange backpack.

They ended up being late for class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Although Mew has yet to appear, I hope you enjoyed reading nonetheless!


	3. Ready, Set, Go!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gulf, Boat, and Mild spend their precious free time at the library. It may have been a mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Slaps update in ur face* This took me a while to finish. Please, excuse my crappy writing. I shall try harder. However, I still hope this is satisfactory~ Enjoy! 🥰

A week had gone by and Gulf was drowning in schoolwork. Paper after paper and test after test. Their professors were ruthless. Mild and Boat shared his sentiments as they barely had much time to hang out anymore. When they did, they talked about their impending deadlines or they helped each other with their submissions. In short, their topics centered around nothing but school.

While the amount made him want to break down into a sobbing mess, it distracted him from his worries over the rain. He hadn't thought about it for a while and neither did it spring up on him again after that time with Mild. Following Gulf's pestering that day, his omega companion was a little suspicious of his sudden interest in the weather. However, he was unable to interrogate Gulf any further as the towering workload that threatened him to tears prevented him from doing anything else.

Today was a rare occurrence, though. The three of them were lounging leisurely on the cozy library couches, each claiming one for themselves. The cool air circulating in the place soothed their burning skin from the heat outside. They had just finished running around the campus trying to submit their last paper for the week and were given vacancy for the rest of the day. It was a glorious reward. Especially for Gulf who had been feeling under the weather for some days now. He was simply grateful it hadn't progressed more than simple sluggishness.

Mild who was the mother hen of the group went hot on his trails the moment he showed signs of being unwell. He made sure Gulf was well fed and warm, his omega characteristics expressing themselves. But their oblivious beta friend had yet to notice it. Instead, he chose to pay attention to the more unnecessary things surrounding Gulf.

"Have you noticed anything strange from others lately, Gulf?" The gossip engaged the tired recipient who had his head slumped on the armrest of the single seater couch. A towel was placed above the upper part of his face, shielding his eyes from the light that managed to reach him.

"No, Boat. I have not," he answered dismissively. "And I don't particularly care."

"Boat, stop bothering Gulf. The poor guy's had enough shit for the day," Mild attempted a rescue. Boat abandoned his previous position which looked similar to a floppy fish on dry land and sat up straight in lieu.

"No, but seriously! Have you guys not noticed anything?" He insisted. Mild's eyes shot up from the book he wasn't really reading. Initially, he picked it up to look cool. 

"I don't think saying it will help anyone," he laughed nervously like he had an idea about what Boat was referring to.

"So you have!" Boat pointed a finger accusingly at the omega.

"I haven't! Or... well, I'm not sure if you're talking about what I'm thinking about."

"Just tell me so your loud mouths won't cause a ruckus. The last thing I want is to be banned from the library," Gulf sighed and pulled up the towel on his eyes slightly to peek at them.

"How to start?" Boat hummed.

"Are you sure you want to hear it?" Mild put up a hand against Boat as if signaling him to halt whatever he planned on spilling. Gulf raised a brow.

"Yeah, sure. Tell me," he shrugged and dropped his towel back in place. He snuggled himself on the couch, prepping himself for some shut-eye. Boat and Mild looked at each other before nodding.

"Some people have been staring," Boat paused. "Not right now but in general. Especially this past week."

"What do you mean?" Gulf asked with a yawn. His curiosity increasing but not enough to make him move from his setup.

"You've gotten, well, prettier. It's not by just a little, it's noticeable. To the point where others blatantly stare," Boat continued.

The statement nearly made Gulf choke on his own saliva. He finally sat up and looked at the beta with a shocked expression.

"Yeah, about that. I've had a couple of people approach me asking for your number," Mild stated his case.

"I'm your friend. I see you almost everyday and I've even seen you pick your nose but I gotta say it's true," Boat's hand cradled his chin and nodded approvingly.

"You guys are exaggerating," Gulf scoffed.

"Never! I'm honestly concerned. Some of the stares aren't friendly. We're saying this 'cause we know how oblivious you can be with your surroundings," Mild reasoned.

"May I remind you of your horrible sense of direction as proof?" Boat offered.

"I got lost once," Gulf rolled his eyes and emphasized 'once.'

"Once every other day," the smaller omega chuckled along with the beta. It earned them a grumble from the taller male.

"Still, you better be careful. I know the looks some of them give," Mild's smile turned into grim frown. "They give those kinds of stares mostly to omegas."

Gulf couldn't help but gulp at his friend's grave tone. He didn't say anything, afraid that his voice might waver.

"We know you're not but the vibe you've been giving recently is confusing. At first, it wasn't that bad, Mild and I could barely notice a difference. But now, we don't know what's happening to you either. We aren't saying it's bad but it's worrying," Boat responded.

"It doesn't make sense, frankly. Suddenly changing, it's like you're in bloom or something. Hell, you seem even better. Even I didn't look like that when I presented," Mild commented.

Gulf knew what he was talking about. He read about it in books. Omegas peaked most after presenting and going through their first heat. They called newly presented omegas 'in bloom,' when they were in their most dazzling state. He had witnessed it a few times when he was in high school. Back then, the prettiest omega who presented in his place of learning had a dozen alphas lining up for courtship. He couldn't blame them, the person was too beautiful to look at. But it only lasted a week.

Once the bloom wore off, it rarely came back. Some said omegas only bloomed three times in their entire lifetime. Once, when they presented. Twice, when they found their fated pair. And lastly, when they were in so much sorrow that they unraveled in the most stunning of ways. It was said that the bloom when one united with their pair was unrivalled. Accordingly, it was also the kind of bloom that was nearly impossible whereas people never really found their fated partner. Hence, not much was known or written about it. Solely romantic souls delved in its possibilities.

He got that last bit of information from Mild, who was an unexpected hopeless romantic.

Thinking about blooming, Gulf wondered. He presented years ago but he didn't bloom. His delayed heat stalled him from having one. So him blooming now of all times wasn't a feasible idea. It was probably the crowd's imagination. Then again, the differences -other than what others have noticed- he was experiencing for himself could be a sign. A sign that his body had begun it's long awaited march to maturity.

The notion of eventuality frightened Gulf. He knew he was a long way from being ready. It had always been a part of his wonder how teenagers, young as they may be, handled the morphing of their bodies to cater their tertiary sex. If only he was as young and foolishly brave, or careless.

Pondering so deeply about things gave him a headache he would rather not accept. He wasn't in the best condition even prior to this but now he felt worse. His body slumped on the couch languidly, tired from his internal interaction and something... unfamiliar.

"Are you okay?" Mild asked, noticing Gulf's heavy breaths. The worried omega tried to soothe him with his touch. The other nodded raising a hand up to dismiss Mild's attempt.

"Yo, what's going on?" The beta's face scrunched up in a similar fashion to Mild's.

"You dumb beta, he hasn't been feeling too good for days and you only notice this now?" The shorter mocked. "I knew it wasn't the best time to bring it up. Look, he's gotten worse."

"Sorry," Boat rolled his r's to elongate the apology. The click of Mild's tongue accompanied his eyeroll.

"Do you want something to drink or maybe eat, honey? I can get it for you," Mild turned to Gulf, his voice cooing and sweet. The endearment often used whenever he was trying to comfort the lankier man.

"I'm okay. I think, I'd like to rest for a while," Gulf replied. He positioned himself liberally on the couch. One goal in mind: sleep.

"Okay. But if you need anything, just tell us," Mild said.

He allowed himself to be lulled by the blurry images of his omega friend slapping Boat's hand when the latter tried to grab his book. The couch swallowed him in his slumber and the warm light caressed him to comfort his aching joints.

Gulf dreamt.

He dreamt of looking at cumulus clouds in the vast blue sky. He was lying down on a grassy plain with his hands cradling his head and his legs crossed leisurely. It was a bright day. The fresh breeze came in gentle whips on his skin. The occasional chirps of birds sang to his ears. He let his eyelids drop to savor the moment.

As he opened his eyes once more, the cumulus clouds morphed into cumulonimbus ones. No longer was the sun present in the sky. He sat up from his previous placement to stare wide eyed. The trees around him swayed with the harsh spiral of cold, icy wind. The birds halted their lullabies and flew away in escape.

Then, rain poured. Heavy and unforgiving.

It soaked him to the bones. Shivers ran up and down his body. The icy stabs on his skin suddenly crackled and turned scalding. Gulf panicked. His heartbeat doubled and thumped loudly against his chest. The heat begun to be too much to bare. His eyes scanned his tanned flesh as it alighted, reddened and went raw. Each droplet that landed on his body burned him alive. The heat kept increasing. Tears swelled in his eyes, the fire overwhelming him. A scream tore through his throat.

"Gulf!"

Gulf's eyes shot open to meet Mild's and Boat's anxious eyes. The heat faded from his senses but not completely. There was still the dull ache in his system as well as the thrumming of his heart. He eyed his friends frantically, searching them.

"You're burning up, Gulf. You need to get home," Mild urged as he touched the forehead of the man in question.

"Boat, come here. Let's help him up," he instructed. Boat nodded and proceeded to Gulf's right side as Mild held onto his left. Gulf struggled in their arms.

"Wait, let go. I can walk," he insisted.

"What? No, you need help," Boat refused.

"I don't. Now, let go," the taller male hissed through clenched teeth. That seemed to convince his friends.

Gulf did not want anyone touching him. He could feel his skin crawl at the thought. Even the clothes that clung to him due to sweat repulsed him. He needed to shower so badly. So he could wash away the heat that seemed to follow him in reality.

He wished whatever was happening to him right now couldn't be what he was thinking of. His body showed the signs earlier in the week but he thought he was simply coming down with a cold. He'd felt sluggish countless times before when he was exhausted from schoolwork. There was nothing new about it. Perhaps the workload he had this time around proved too burdensome.

Nonetheless, the red flags screamed at him in warning. He needed to be cautious. So even if he went home now and it was just a harmless cold, at least he made sure. So far, his pheromones were still intact. He could make it home safely if he went back not a second later. His limp march to home began but was ceased when Mild clutched his arm.

"We are sending you home and you can't say no," he decided. His voice promised hell if Gulf denied. Their beta companion nodded with the same resolve.

"What do I do with you?" Gulf sighed.

"You'll love us more, that's what." Boat answered for him, earning a small smile from Gulf.

"Fine," Gulf surrendered. His hand travelled to where Mild gripped him and removed the hand. "But no touching."

"Aye sir!" Mild saluted and went to follow him at his side. Boat mimicked the omega's movements parallel to him. Both of his friends acted as though they were bodyguards, cautious of their surroundings. They looked like lunatics, according to Gulf. It was good that there weren't many people in the library to witness their behavior. Still, he appreciated their lunacy. It made him feel better.

Gulf's hand reached for the door and was instantly assaulted by the scent of rain. Of wet earth and leaves with hints of refreshing mint and sandalwood. Goosebumps appeared on his flesh. It was a beautiful and nostalgic aroma that drove Gulf back to his dream. When he was lying down on the grassy plain and enjoyed the nip of the gentle breeze. All coming from the handsome entity in front of him.

An alpha whose dark orbs widened.

But similar to his dream, when it rained, Gulf burned. The blood in his veins boiled. Heat took over him as if racing against time. A shiver went up his spine. His skin prickled and his vision blurred. Before anyone could make a move, his pheromones exploded all over the vicinity. He couldn't make out what was happening in his surroundings any longer as his knees gave out. His breaths were coming in short gasps. All that was left for his senses to grasp was the heat. The painful heat. The neverending heat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry not sorry for the cliffhanger 😘
> 
> Feel free to leave comments, hearing your thoughts really motivates me to write and improve my work. Plus, it's fun interacting with you.
> 
> See you on the next one! Here goes nothing~~


	4. Code Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's an emergency.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest chapter so far. I wasn't suppose to update today because I told myself I would take a break. But the ideas just kept popping, I HAD TO SHARE IT. Hope you like it! ❤️

Gulf should've taken his suppressants when he had the chance.

"Boat, we need to get him out of here! There's an alpha!" Mild screamed at the beta.

It didn't take the omega too long to put two and two together. His mind ran a hundred miles per hour in a panic and attempted to shield Gulf, who was lying limply on the ground as he struggled in utter pain, from the man before them. The man who was obviously part of the higher pyramid of his tertiary group. Definitely dangerous.

"Shit!" Boat shook his head from the initial shock. He scrambled to Gulf's side. The beta had never seen anything like this in his life. Gulf's intense pheromones were starting to mingle with the alpha's growing one. The air almost suffocated the few occupants of the library.

Gulf could barely breathe. Whenever he did, his lungs burned as it filled with the alpha's intoxicating scent. His unfocused sight barely saw said alpha cover his mouth and nose with his hands. His senses heightened so dangerously high. Every brush of anything against his tanned skin almost elicited a sob. The sensation in his stomach and back felt particularly grueling. Similar to having his organs ripped right out of him, leaving him empty and raw. It was all too painful.

He crumpled into a fetal position and forced himself to bite back what could have been a mix of a scream and a cry. He had never thought that the first heat was this gruesome. Definitely beyond his imagination. Maybe basing all of his knowledge on textbooks for ordinary omegas wasn't the best idea.

The beta's hands wrapped around him so he could get on to aiding his suffering companion. And, oh, the evoked growl from the accused perpetrator drove Gulf insane. It was deep and borderline feral. Absolutely inappropriate but Gulf's omega yipped at the reaction. The occasion awfully didn't grant his omega to be happy. It did, howbeit, as his omega priorly decided to be that jerk to Gulf and had him go into heat in the middle of a public place. What worse things could it possibly do?

_Well, fuck you too, bastard._

"Boat! Quickly!" The smaller omega prompted as he put an arm underneath Gulf's to support him and Boat did the same on the parallel side.

"Where?!"

"The clinic! It's the nearest place with a heat room," he answered. Discarding any thoughts of giving the withering male suppressants as it took a while until it administered its effect. Before they could take a step forward, however, they were stopped by the antagonistic alpha in front of them. The tall man had his pupils blown out, his mouth trying to prevent itself from salivating at the scrumptious meal in the pair's hands. A growl played on his lips.

_Take your hands off_ _my omega!_ No words were needed to convey the message he wanted to send.

Gulf felt Mild tremble against him. The shorter clearly affected by the alpha's use of domination. It wasn't like Gulf himself hadn't felt the seering desire the invader transmitted. In fact, it was all he could feel by then. His current condition only offered him a chance to a whine and a shudder as an expression. Boat, who was frightened but was the least shaken among them, stepped up.

"I'll handle this. Get going," he gulped thickly. Mild didn't protest. He nodded and began his descent from the impending brawl. The alpha almost pounced on the two omegas if Boat hadn't tackled him.

"Son of a bitch, what the hell is happening?" Mild queried desperately.

Gulf would have answered that he didn't fucking know, if only he had heard the other past the ringing in his ears. Another wave hit him straight on. This time, the scream could not be forced back. He gripped Mild's hand which wrapped around him so tightly he may have drawn blood. The last scene he was able to register was the clear sky as he threw his head back caused by the onslaught of torture.

* * *

Gulf woke up to soft beeps beside him. His eyes were still closed but he was half conscious. He wanted nothing more than to get an adequate amount of sleep. He tried reaching for his favorite panda stuffed toy, preferring to ignore the beeps that —he guessed— was brought by his alarm clock. As soon as his hands came into contact with nothing, he opened one eye and caught sight of an unfamiliar white ceiling as well as white sheets.

The hospital room startled him to his full wake. Medical equipment actually caused the beeping, not his dusty, old clock. An IV drip was attached to his left hand. He vision landed on a hunched figure by the little round table in the corner. Mild was peeling an apple. He didn't immediately call out to his friend. In lieu, he opted to stare blankly. His mind tried to process what was occuring. Or what had occurred.

He willed with every ounce of his being, that neither did he have his first heat in public nor did his friends now know of his slight predicament. That he was admittedly an omega and not the big bad alpha they thought of him. The recollection came crashing down on him.

He had lied. Lied to his friends who were close to family to him. He did so for more than 3 years. It was a miracle to even have Mild there, in the corner of his hospital room, peeling an unsuspecting apple. Why was the omega still there?

He gathered whatever face he had left and called him.

"Mild—" the crack in his voice ruined his try at confidence. The recipient whirled his attention to Gulf. His facial expression a combination of surprise and something incomprehensible.

"Gulf," he returned, paused, and continued. "Your parents just left for work. Asked me to take care of you in the meantime. Boat's coming over in a while, too."

"Mild," Gulf repeated.

"You've been out like a light for 3 days. Your throat's probably dry. Here, have some water," he got up and handed the patient a cup of water. At the mention of water, he only now felt the thirst but he the cup remained in his hands.

"Mild." He repeated much firmer than formerly. Mild stopped to starkly stare. Then, went back to his chair.

"Drink first, then, talk," he urged. Gulf narrowed his eyes but did as told and gulped it down. Then, asked for another cup. And another. Until Mild gave him the whole liter. The smaller omega didn't kid when he told him his throat was probably dry. Gulf's throat was the desert.

"About what happened," he started once the quest for water was sated.

"I admit. I was kind of shocked," Mild cut him off.

"I'm sorry," Gulf apologzied. His eyes remained glued on the sheets that covered the bottom half of his body.

"For a little more than three years. And we were clueless," he faltered. "That our best friend was, in reality, someone we didn't know."

"I'm sorry."

"We should really wait for Boat before discussing any further," Mild suggested.

As if on queue, the doorknob rattled and in came the beta. Boat sported a bruise on his left cheek and a cut on his lip. The sight made Gulf's stomach drop and he blanched. He vaguely remembered the sounds of the beta fighting against an alpha. Did Gulf cause that?

"You're awake!" Boat gasped, then, sensed the atmosphere. "What's with the two of you? Gulf just woke up!"

Mild ushered him in.

"Did you not trust us enough to tell us?" Mild continued. Boat's mouth formed an 'o' in understanding.

"Do you know what's worse?" Mild fought the waterworks. The beta stayed silent. He knew the omega was enough to handle the situation.

"We called you alpha all those times!"

"We...we just assumed that you were. But you weren't! And we didn't know. So we kept—" he sputtered. His anger more directed at himself.

Out of all the things his friends could have hated in the situation, they chose to hate themselves. Of course, they were too angelic to blame Gulf for everything when it was truly his fault for not saying anything. It caused him to hold them dearly in his heart. It caused him to feel poorer about himself as well.

"We pushed all those stereotypes on you," Mild's tone grew softer, more concerned, if it were even possible. His eyes sparkling and brows knitted upwards. The boy in the hospital bed preferred the omega's mischievous quirks over this.

"I'm used to it," the corner of his mouth lifted shakily in a strive to smile.

"You're not supposed to be used to it! Maybe if we hadn't, you would've told us. Maybe you would've trusted us enough to open up," he replied.

"No! It's not your fault. I," he stopped Mild's building spiral, his heart thumping from the nerves. "I was scared."

"I've been labeled an alpha for so long. I just got so tired that I let it be. I let it be until I got scared," Gulf's head hung low as he uttered the words. "Before I knew it, I couldn't go back. There was nothing to go back to. I much preferred to be a normal alpha than to be a damaged omega."

"I mean, come on. Who would ever want an omega like me? I'm not even a smidge of what Mild is. A delayed bloomer who has fucked up hormones and a fucked up body. I'm a mess, guys." He looked at the both of them through blurry lenses. His emotions overflowed. What he tried so hard to hide finally surfaced.

"Honey, you're not. Please don't think like that. It hurts to hear you say that. You're so beautiful! Those things will never define you," Mild got up and hugged him with Boat following suit.

"I'll kill any bastard who thinks otherwise," the beta added.

"Then, what would you do to me for being one of those bastards?" Gulf asked and Boat stiffened. He hadn't thought that far ahead. Mild elbowed the beta, called him stupid, and mumbled a little 'see what you made him think!' through clenched teeth. The little laugh their bickering inspired from Gulf turned shaky.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I lied," Gulf's voiced turned small and cracked around the edges. A tear slid down his cheek as he tightened his arms around them. He could feel the warmth of their touch rubbing gentle circles on his back.

"It's okay, Gulf. We'll accept you no matter who or what you are," Boat assured him.

He loved his friends. Simple words of affection in these moments meant the world but they faced a sea of countless years of gloom. At most, they only provided Gulf with a temporary high. It's not like he wasn't grateful for it. If he could, he would replay it in his head over and over again until it didn't hurt anymore. Yet forgetting everything else was not an easy feat.

He'd take what he could and give back what he could. He'd make it up to Mild. For all the dirt he received from being next to alpha Gulf. He'd make it up to Boat. For all the teasing and dad jokes he forced him to listen to. Although the last bit, he doubted. Today, by perhaps just a bit, maybe something in his heart would change. As long as he kept these two people in the expanse of his life.

Mild broke their embrace with a sniffle.

"I'll go call the doctor," he said while he pulled on the hem of his sleeves to wipe at his eyes. Leaving Boat to fix the stray strands of hair on Gulf's forehead. The patient's dark chocolate orbs pooled and glistened when it looked over his friend's injuries.

"You okay?" He asked, his soft tone oozing with care. The beta smiled at him.

"Of course! This is nothing. You should've seen the other guy," he responded with a fist in the air to signify the mark in his words. "Nobody touches my friends!"

"Please, take it easy and I'm sorry. Thank you for helping me," Gulf smiled sweetly at him. He really was as thankful as he was sorry. Boat's stare of a few seconds shone with what seemed to be tears. Although, Gulf could have mistaken it whereas the sunlight that poured from the window behind his beta companion feebly blinded him.

"Stop saying sorry. Damn, don't let that shit happen again. Ever!" He scolded. "Take your damn suppressants."

Their conversation was cut short by Mild with the doctor and a nurse. Said nurse proceeded to gingerly take notes of Gulf's vital signs.

"Hello there, Gulf! Good to see you," the doctor was a middle-aged beta. Albeit the grey that peppered her long hair that fell past her shoulders, she looked beautiful and had a youthful gleam in her smiling eyes.

"Imagine my surprise when you came in an ambulance three days ago. We nearly had to tie up all the alphas in the vicinity." She laughed with a light heart. Gulf's face dropped along with his heart.

"Oh, that was only half a joke! Don't be so serious." Gulf tried to return her humor with a smile but failed because of the worrying information she had just given him.

_What about the other half?_

"But first, do you want your friends here or?" The last part, she left hanging as she eyed the other two. Gulf told them it was alright. If anyone had the right to know, it had to be his two best friends. The doctor seemed to accept his agreement and carried on.

"Okay! On a serious note, your heat was just too extreme. You passed out in less the an hour from the pain, yes?" She asked and met Gulf's hesitant nod. He couldn't exactly recall much.

"That's highly strange even for a late bloomer like yourself. It seems as though you were forced into heat. In your case, you shouldn't have had it until after 4 more months," the jest in her voice could no longer be traced. The color drained from Gulf's face.

_Forced?_

"We did a scan on you and your uterus barely developed enough to warrant one. Your body tried to speed up the process of sexual maturity and the pain you experienced was a result of your organs realigning themselves to make way for the development of a womb. You're very lucky your baby maker or any other internal organs wasn't damaged."

Mild gasped in Gulf's stead. As the more mature omega between them, he grasped the issue at hand better than the other. Boat wore concern on his face despite not fully understanding. The doctor's tone was ample to give him a scare. The taller omega had trouble processing it in his brain. Howbeit, there was one thing that proved undeniable. He needed to thank his two loyal companions forever. According to the professional woman, if they had brought him any later, taking pills or medications could never remedy the consequences.

He had almost lost his ability to bear children.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the comments and support! I appreciate all of them and they hype me up. So sorry, Mew has been neglected for so long. I don't think it'll change too soon tho. But HE SHALL... eventually.
> 
> Please wait patiently for our panda to officially enter the story~


	5. Who Are You?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the Mew side of things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even though I told you you wouldn't be seeing Mew any time soon, I offer his POV to you. Hope you like it!
> 
> And yes, I did that with the chapter summary. I am utterly ashamed of myself. 
> 
> I also post this story on Wattpad so if you'd like to support me there, you're very welcome!
> 
> Here's the link:  
> https://my.w.tt/SCpTZjYHt6

Mew Suppasit Jongcheevevat came from a privileged family. It was to no one's surprise when he had presented as an alpha at the age of 14.

His life had been smooth sailing since he could remember, only success after success as an obstacle. High school ended without a cinch. In which he received bountiful achievements in various sports and academic courses. Arts and music definitely weren't left out. After completing his bachelor's and master's degree in Industrial Engineering, his sights were already set on his doctorate. Nothing was unattainable and nobody expected anything less from the son of the Jongcheevevat clan.

He had even taken up a side job of acting and modelling brought about by his sudden interest in films. Originally, he didn't expect his career in the field to blow up. Yet the moment he landed the lead role in a drama, everything flipped. Even the grannies that he randomly passed by began to recognize him.

The fame soared, eventually towering ideals. It got to the point where transferring schools was the preferred solution due to some conflicts. He came in an awkward time at his current school, in between semesters, with hopes that his smooth sailing days would return. But such hopes were crushed. In lieu, word had spread. The first few days were hectic. A lot of the students gathered around him. Clearly, they were affected by his status as a celebrity and as an alpha.

Even he knew of his humongous aura and the crowd it gathered. Honestly, he found it troublesome aside from its quirks in his acting career. The problems it ensued and the omegas who had to suffer from it were often the bane of it all. While he had control over his pheromones, he couldn't do much about his aura. He blamed the genes. He had tried using one of those mists which were advertised to hide someone's tertiary characteristics but failed. Apparently, it only worked if it mixed well with the user's scent and it hadn't done so with Mew's.

"Mew, hurry! I managed to stall them but that won't hold them for too long," Run informed him, hastily typing something on his phone.

His fated encounter with the beta happened on his attendance of the first day. Run had no clue who the alpha was in the beginning. He simply asked the person next to him, who happened to be Mew, if he could borrow a pen. It was a breath of fresh air. Albeit Run lost his pen on the same day, their friendship blossomed from then on.

"What are you typing?" Mew queried as he packed his belongings. Run gave him a look.

"I'm stalling them, what else?" He answered.

"Who is there to stall? The crowd died down ages ago." Mew reminded Run, who caught sight of Mew's sloth like motions.

He was glad that the throng of people his fame and charisma gathered lessened considerably after only a few days. The staff and faculties undeniably played a role in their silence. Although there was one small circle of admirers that refused to go, they didn't bother Mew. To him, they were kind of like friends that supported him from afar.

"I refuse to eat lunch while your fans send their goo-goo eyes at you. And what are you doing? I told you to hurry." He bumped his hip against the taller man's to move him aside. He shoved the other's things inside the bag before roughly handing it to its owner.

"How exactly are you stalling them?" Mew raised a brow and accepted it without much qualms.

"Tweeted you were at the Accounting building," the beta pocketed his phone. "Let's go. Now."

Mew chuckled an 'okay' and followed his companion to the canteen. He knew exactly what was happening despite only meeting Run in less than a few weeks. The man was hangry and acknowledged no form of rebellion against his decisions. So Mew had no choice but to comply.

There were not many people in the canteen since lunch had only just begun. The pair opted for a random table and ate in comfortable silence. The reason being Run's mouth continuously filling with spoonfuls that had no room for other musings. Slowly, the place filled with students and their chatters.

One common topic that hung in the air caught both of their attentions. About a certain student in the Industrial Education and Technology faculty rising in the ranks of popularity. Apparently, a male alpha whose beauty was incomparable. Murmurs of comparison to Mew did not fail to reach their ears. Run turned to his friend with curious, wide eyes after swallowing a mouthful.

"Even more than you?"

"I'm not vain, Run. Who cares if the guy's handsome or not?" He dismissed his friend. "It's none of our business." Run shrugged and continued to quell his stomach.

Mew didn't see the need for competition. He himself didn't get the hierarchy between the tertiary sexes. How can they so easily claim than one alpha is superior to the other? Neither appearances nor medals proved him the validity to judge. There were plenty of qualities in everyone that put them on the same line as each other. Mew saw no difference.

He felt especially slighted with the discrimination that omegas faced. He had met and heard enough people to justify that it truly happened. Omegas were beautiful creatures, not at all sexual objects that some chose to make them out to be. In the alpha's eyes, they were symbols of humanitarian life and love. If it were not for them, the world would be colder and harsher. His own alpha treasured their existence in abundance. Hence, his inevitable urge to protect and aid any omega in need.

His thoughts were cut short by multiple slaps on his back. Run was choking on his pad thai as he haphazardly pointed fingers at Mew. The alpha was about to call him out for his abnormal behavior but Run halted him with his urgency. The beta waved hands at him, his eyes growing wider and his fingers going aggressive.

"Swallow your food, Run. I can't understand," Mew suggested. His face scrunched up after his failed attempts at interpreting. Run grabbed his own throat and swallowed forcibly despite the burn.

"Behind you!" He finally said. Mew's head snapped towards the direction mentioned. A group of fans, who were screaming Mew's name, were running to them.

"Shit," the alpha muttered and got up instantly with his bag in hand and plate unfinished. He grabbed the beta, who gulped down his glass of water.

"Run!"

"Yes?"

"Not you, I mean the verb!"

"Okay!" Run did as told. Before they knew it, they were running in the hallways like a pack of wolves chased them. It wasn't far from the truth.

"I thought you said your fans died down? This is even more than a few days ago!" Run wheezed out.

"You tell me," the taller man retorted, his legs began to feel the burn.

"You go right, I go left. It might distract them," the beta suggested.

"That won't work, I'm the one they want. Not both of us," the other denied.

"I wanted to say that once in my life, you just had to ruin it." The darker skinned man stumbled.

"Run!" Mew was about to help him up.

"No! Just go ahead, I'll be fine," he shooed him away.

"But—"

"P'Mew!" Squeals could be heard in the air and Mew ran, instincts ruling him.

"I won't forget your sacrifice!" He shouted. His laughter vibrated in his chest. The situation seemed too comical in his opinion.

"Live, my brother!" Run put his fist up to emphasize and clutched his stomach. "Damn, my appendix." He mumbled as the taller became a tiny speck in the distance.

Mew eventually lost the crowd after turning a corner. His breath came in rags as his legs took him to the library for solace. Who knew when they'd be back for him? It reassured him to disappear from sight. The library was the perfect choice since few normally went there at the current time.

Aside from that, a barricade of books always appealed to the alpha. Many teased him for his love of studying. His impaired eyesight also a result of reading too much for long hours. Obviously, it hadn't phased him in any way as he continued to earn his doctorate without a care in the world.

Mew opened the entrance of the library and was met with two pooling and deep chocolate orbs. The tanned expanse of smooth rosy cheeks and pointed nose left him speechless. Hair of a rich dark wood color framed it in waves that parted and swooped at the side. And those lips. Those cherry red lips reminded him of horn chestnuts during Christmas season. Absolutely gorgeous.

Their eyes remained connected and Mew felt sparks between them. Until a burst of pheromones and the sickly sweet scent of heat invaded his senses.

_An omega._

Mew immediately covered his nose and mouth with a hand. Failing miserably, however, as the indulgent scent of chocolate, cinnamon, and strawberries destroyed whatever walls he had built. The beautiful man slumped on the floor, his skin flaring red and raw and his breathing heavy and painful. Such a scene made the alpha in Mew want so badly to soothe him that he almost whimpered. It was unlike his previous encounters with other omegas in heat because back then, he at least had a semblance of calm and collected. This time, it felt so real. As if he could feel the hurt along with the withering man.

He didn't know where the growl in his voice came from when the omega's companions touched him as they tried to help him up. But the sound the beauty gave in return drove him feral. He had to take him. Needed to soothe his pain. If he didn't, he felt like he would die. So when they began another attempt at taking his omega away, he crouched in front of them and readied himself for a fight.

"I'll handle this. Get going," he heard the beta amongst them say.

Who was this person? Did he really think he could win against an alpha as high of a caliber as Mew? Whatever reason he had, it was unforgivable to separate Mew from his omega.

The alpha saw the other pair move away in his peripheral vision. Before he was able to prevent them, the beta tackled him to the ground which elicited gasps from the small audience in the library. The shorter man threw a punch on top of him. Mew retaliated with his own fist and rolled around to renew his stance. After exchanging a few more blows, they circled each other. The alpha growled lowly with a cut lip similar to the beta's but on the opposite corner. Mew had the upper hand as a bruise bloomed on his opponent's cheek.

The taller man initiated the first move with a harsh knee to the enemy's abdomen. Although falling victim to it evoked a painful cough, the recipient grabbed the alpha by which the move connected and tackled him. Mew stumbled until the back of his head hit the librarian's desk.

It was lights out for the alpha.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Mew's eyes opened to a momentary haze.

"Is that you, Mew?" Bosser, his manager, was seated beside the bed that he lied on. The man originally had his face stuck to his phone.

"What happened and where are we?" He asked while sitting up, sores erupting all over his body.

"Easy there. You were unconscious for half a day," the shorter male helped him up. "To answer your question, you were brought to the clinic after getting beat up but transferred you to a nearby private clinic."

"You actually came to a couple of hours ago but you weren't... yourself," he informed the alpha with a nervous glint in his eyes.

"I wasn't myself?" Mew was confused.

"Yeah. They had a few other alphas and your friend —who was it? Ah, yes, Run— tie you down. You went feral, Mew. Scared us to death, really."

The alpha gave him an incredulous look. Mew never went feral. He had so much control over himself. Even when he first presented, he remained sober. His own parents were impressed by his self-discipline.

"That's impossible," was all he uttered.

"They had to shoot you with a tranquilizer. You almost got sent to a ward but I convinced them to transfer you to this clinic instead."

"Seriously?" Mew really couldn't believe it. Bosser nodded.

"What about the omega? Is he okay? Or the guy I fought with? How is he?" He asked after his mind drifted to the previous events.

"They transferred the omega to a hospital. The beta is okay. He's with his friends," his manager answered.

"But seriously, what made you go nuts? You're a pretty powerful alpha. You shouldn't have been that affected by an omega in heat. " Bosser sighed.

"I," Mew contemplated. "I don't know. I've never felt anything like it. It was as though we were connected."

It was the truth. The only memory he could recall clear as day was his alpha screaming at him to protect. To remedy whatever his omega was going through. To soothe the pain that seemed to reach even his depths. Everything felt so real and inevitable in those moments. Something about the stunning person he had met was different. The sparks that appeared between them and the sweet yet dark and indulgent chocolate scent bothered him. It addled him to no end but he wanted to see the omega again. To confirm for himself if the latter was fine. And perhaps to get to know him better.

His conversation partner furrowed his brows at him before ruffling his own head of hair. The man had never thought he'd get to see the alpha garner such an expression or utter those words to him.

"This is confusing me! It's a good thing there weren't many people to witness it. I mean, I wasn't there but from what I heard, it was well over extreme. Think, what if the media got a hold of this?"

He was so focused on everything else that it slipped Mew's mind completely. If ever this got out to the media, he'd be ruined. Labeled forever as the feral alpha who couldn't keep it in his pants. The media would make a feast out of him. Rip him to shreds and feed him to the hyenas.

"And what would your fiancé say if he found out?" Bosser added with frustration.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are highly appreciated. If I can't reply to some of you, please know that I am grateful for them and I have read them. I do try to reply to all of you but sometimes, Ao3 confuses the frig out of me.
> 
> Anyways, THANK YOU FOR READING! STAY HEALTHY AND TAKE CARE~ 🥰
> 
> Also, I'm mourning, I just found out my chicken died.


	6. Solving for Y

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day in Gulf's room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update. Been in a little slump lately. Also, please expect slower updates as I'm busy with other personal work. I'll try my best, though. Hope you like it~ 🥰
> 
> You can also read my work on Wattpad: https://my.w.tt/3OE8G67Ay6

Gulf decided to take the rest of the week off fueled by the recommendation of his doctor. He was discharged from the hospital after the fourth day. They handed him pills to manage his hormones and advised him to get regular check-ups. They also told him to take better care of his body but he needed not to worry about heats as painful as the first. As long as nothing happened, his body would proceed to develop normally and wouldn't have his next heat till then.

During his time of recovery by himself, he did nothing but idle around in his dorm room. His days stuck to a strict routine of waking up, eating, playing with his phone, showering, and sleeping again. Maybe even the occasional cuddle —not the gentle cuddle but the he-might-lose-his-mind cuddle— with his stuffed toys in the middle of the day. It depended on his mood. He swore if his friends ever saw him obsess over a bunch of synthetic cotton filled creatures, they'd think his screws were loose.

His physiology was a lot better compared to then, that was for certain. He'd take this over a torturous heat any day. But the events left an inkling of a hollow oddity in Gulf. Perhaps the heat wasn't out of his system yet. His doctor begged to differ, though. At first, he concluded that he was simply hungry. A natural occurrence to him, really. Yet having had rummaged through his cupboards and eaten whatever edible thing he could find, satisfaction didn't come to him. It only resulted with a bloated stomach for the whole while. For the first time in his life, it seemed as though food was not the solution. His senses had been craving for something. Maybe of the clamminess and the goosebumps against his skin or the scent of refreshing earth.

_Please rain._

His limbs flailed and he got up instantly with a yelp and brows knitted together. Formerly, he had been lying on his bed, trying for a short nap when the thought popped up.

He thought he had moved on from any concerns with the rain. Apparently, it was a thought too soon. This would be another obsession to put in his books. He couldn't wrap around how a weather condition could affect him for weeks on end. It had him curious before while Mild told him it hadn't rain for two weeks as he really could have sworn it rained before the start of the semester. He had the goosebumps to prove it. And yet, he said the same thing a week ago as they ran to their next class but it hadn't. Come to think of it, he'd felt it or smelt it —to better term the action— that day. When he had been forced into heat. From the alpha he had bumped into.

He was pulled out of his musings by the sounds of a banging fist against the door. Gulf couldn't help but glare at the direction of the source. This actually wasn't any time for visitors as Gulf had a mystery to solve in his head. Other distractions were unadvised. The banging kept going so he had no choice but to drag his long legs towards it, in fear of disturbing his neighbors. He cracked open the dark wood slightly, just to poke an eye out to find out who his intruders were and what torture methods would he use to punish them.

"Yo!" Mild greeted with a grin. Boat was by his side and held up a bag in his hand, probably food in its contents. Gulf tried forcing the door shut in their faces but the two were quick on their feet.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What's up with Mr. Grumpy?" The smaller omega teased. His body, along with Boat's, kept the door from shutting completely.

Gulf was not about to let them see the current state of his room. Which was not what his friends had seen last semester and would not expect of it any sooner. His mountain of soft creatures piled on the bed served him proof. He really shouldn't have bought the stuffed penguin last week to add to it. If only the baby blue thing had not looked at him with its pleading black button eyes while he browsed the mall for school materials. Oh, he wanted slap himself for failing to resist the temptation.

"Why?" He groaned out, still pushing himself against the door to prevent access.

"To visit! Haven't heard from you after getting discharged," Boat struggled an answer with his own push.

"Go away. It hasn't even been that long!" He forced out. He was almost there, just a bit more and he would win their power struggle. Until Mild backed up and ran to tackle the poor door with his entire body. It resulted in both Boat and Gulf falling on their butts.

"Hah! I win," Mild's plans of celebration were interrupted as his eyes roamed the expanse of Gulf's room. The omega gasped.

"Hold up," Boat, only now recovering from the fall, said as he got up and took in the complete change in the room's interior design.

Gulf couldn't believe Mild's recklessness. His neighbors would have a fit with the noise they had made. He had even lost to the smaller man. Now, he had to face the consequences. The larger omega sighed heavily. He got up before closing the door with a hand over his red face in an attempt to hide his embarrassment. Any amount of covering his face actually proved useless if his ears were visible. The pair of hearing organs were redder than tomatoes.

"Oh my God, your bed!" Mild turned to him with sparkling and hopeful dark orbs. Then, quickly took off his shoes and dived for it. "This is heaven!"

"That's a lot," Boat, who had already taken his shoes off, commented as Mild got smothered by the plushies.

"Yeah," Gulf still had his hands over his face.

"But I like what you've done with the place. It looks like it came out of the magazine," the beta continued to plop down on the little couch in the middle of the space.

"Thanks," he muttered. His ears burning considerably more. Gulf was about to sit next to the beta when his omega friend's hand tried to grab at his favorite one. Gulf slapped his hand and hissed at him.

"This one is off limits," he huffed, then, placed the panda at his side as he finally sat. To which Mild called him stingy while reaching for a different one.

"I was living in peace. Why bother me now?" Gulf complained.

"The idiot over there was worried. Apparently, whennhe worries, it's an infectious disease so now we're here," Boat took out his phone.

"I was so not!" Mild denied while rolling on the bed. Boat mouthed to Gulf not to believe the other and continued to play a mobile game.

Gulf sighed again. His mind drifted back to his initial concerns, when his two friends hadn't cut in. To the mysterious alpha who addled him. If he recalled correctly, that alpha had the scent of rain. But nothing more came to him, he could barely remember what he looked like through his then hazy vision.

"Hey, do you know who that alpha from before was?" He asked Boat beside him. The beta gave him a suspicious look, not really favoring his question.

"I don't know," his lips in a thin line. "Why the interest?"

"Nothing. Just curious," Gulf tried brushing off.

"You should be careful of that alpha. If you ever see him, run away. He's really strong," Mild said upon overhearing their conversation. "Especially since you're still recovering. I had a hard time when we were close to him."

"I can hardly remember what he looked like to begin with," Gulf pouted.

"That's good. It'd be bad if he had his sights on you. The guy is domination himself. Could have you at his knees with a flick of a finger," the smaller omega added more nonchalantly than he wanted.

"I can't believe you've been nesting and you didn't even notice you were going into heat." He commented on the side as he rolled over with a puppy in his arms. Gulf titled his head at him, not really sure what he meant by nesting.

"Damn, you're clueless." Mild scrunched his face up. The taller of the two had to fight himself from chucking the throw pillow at him.

"Nesting. This," Mild pointed to the entirety of his room. "When an omega starts to ready themselves for an upcoming heat. Even going as far as redecorating their room. They make a nest of their beds with pillows and sheets so it'll be more comfortable when it happens. In your case, stuffed toys."

"But I thought Gulf's heat was sudden. He couldn't have had enough time to nest," Boat voiced out Gulf's thoughts.

"Oh, wait, you're right. But then, why is Gulf nesting? Unless all this shit managed to magically appear in his room right at the moment his first heat started."

"I don't think it works like that," Boat replied.

"No shit, Sherlock," Mild retorted. "This is some high difficulty puzzle we got ourselves into."

Suddenly, something clicked in Gulf's brain. His reasoning missed a valuable component. The occurrence of his first heat hadn't been the starting line of everything. Instead, it made for more coherence to think that the clock began ticking when Gulf had gotten back from his parents' place. The day his hormones started leaking onto the surface, letting itself be known to the public. The changes he had experienced with his body were indeed fueled by something. Or someone.

What if the said trigger had been there from the very beginning and they simply failed to notice it. What if it had been obsessively and consistently planting the seed within Gulf. And having had faced it directly pushed him to an untimely and painful edge which was his heat. The answer to the mystery centered around the rain and the alpha bearing its scent as it all happened within the timeframe.

While it all connected to the man in interrogation, a gap still formed. Gulf had never met the person in his entire life. He hadn't even recognized him. If he had indeed been the cause of his hormones kicking in like the omega suspected, he should have had at least a semblance of contact. Maybe he had passed by him, but he couldn't be certain. He didn't see anyone of similar built during his time idling around various locations. Unless, his memory served him wrong.

"Remember when the doc said something happened to make me go into heat?" Gulf started. Hesitation in his voice as he doubted if the topic was of importance. The other two turned to him with expecting eyes.

"Yeah, a trigger or something," Mild answered. "Wait, don't tell me you know what it is?"

"I'm not sure. And I don't think they're an it," he told them.

"A person! That's even more exciting," Mild leaned in for better hearing.

Gulf told them what he had been feeling since the start of the semester. He mentioned his concerns about the rain. And his suspicions.

"You're telling us, that you think that the guy, who tried to borderline attack you, caused all of this?" Boat, who had his brows knitted, summarized.

"I told you I'm not sure. It might've just been a coincidence. I mean, there's got to be a lot of other people who smell like the rain, right? It's the first time we've even met him."

"Or..." Mild dragged out. "It could be something deeper." He raised his brows at Gulf suggestively.

"Mild, your crazy is showing," the darker skinned omega narrowed his eyes at the silly one. He didn't bother to dig deeper on Mild's ideas. For all he knew, he would be able to comprehend it anyway.

"You're not gonna tell me you wanna meet this jerk, are you?" Boat shushed Mild, his features drawn in more seriousness.

The question left Gulf with food for thought. Honestly, he hadn't thought of wanting to meet him. Hastings were not part of Gulf's logical comprehension. Particularly, when no basis of confirmation could test the truth of their speculation. He could be getting himself in trouble if he failed any form of cautiousness. An alpha of strong standing was their topic and not just some random person. As Mild mentioned before, he could have them at their knees with a flick of a finger.

"Either way, there's no way in hell I'd let you," the beta crossed his arms defiantly, like a father who refused to marry off his sole daughter. Mild rolled his eyes and made an expression on his face like he wanted to vomit.

Overprotection was the least quality they had excepted from their friend. Boat was a laid back kind of guy. He seldom involved himself in anything and he hated bothersome happenings. While it made him a good companion for goofing around, it also made him lacking during grave situations. So having the beta be so adamant on protecting his friends with such determination felt foreign to them. Quite disgustingly so, as told by Mild's reactions.

"Don't worry. I don't think I want to," Gulf put a hand on Boat's shoulder to reassure him.

"At least, not right now when we're not sure about anything." He mumbled, more to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it just me or does Google translate Gulf's name into "mechanical cuddle"?


	7. In Bloom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gulf wears a bucket hat to school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Here's an update to all my patient readers~
> 
> Hope you like it!
> 
> I also post this on Wattpad. Here's the link: https://my.w.tt/kGYl4DM5D6

"Mild, is this really necessary?" Gulf asked or, more likely, pleaded. His lips were formed in a little pout as his friend put a white bucket hat on his head.

"Yes, it is," Mild firmly answered. "We need to hide your face. Now, enough questions."

"It's not that bad," the taller omega was seated on his baby blue couch.

"Are you kidding us? What part of this isn't that bad?" Boat, who was eating dried mangoes at his breakfast nook, scoffed. 

Gulf awoke to Mild and Boat knocking his door down early in the morning. He almost threw punches as soon as he saw them. A reminder how he was in fact not a morning person and for what they had done, they asked for death. They informed him that they had to accompany him to the campus today as Gulf's short break had finally ended. It was time to go back to his usual processing in school. He was so unbelievably annoyed that he complied and opened his door for them. Too drained to actually put up a fight even though he had just woken up at the time.

"It can't be that bad. You guys are always overreacting," Gulf's pout deepened.

They were referring to his bloom. Since Gulf had just gone through his first heat, of course, the bloom came next. They had skimmed through it on their last visit, which was yesterday. Both had told him they would help him manage it but he thought they were jesting. It was beyond his expectation to deal with this so early in the day. He didn't even think it was worth all the effort. Gulf was originally a dull looking person. A bit of bloom couldn't heavily affect. He stuck to the belief like a leech.

"No, we're not. Your bloom is insane. People are going to go nuts," Mild took a step back as he observed his work.

"This hat isn't working. It's only making you cuter!" He groaned out in frustration and snatched the article away from the other's head. Gulf ruffled his wavy hair, just as frustrated as Mild.

"This is definitely not going to work," He sighed. Mild narrowed his eyes at him, as though sensing the underlying meaning behind Gulf's words.

"Stop that," Mild grabbed the taller omega's face with a hand and lifted it up.

"Stob whah?" Gulf tried saying through his squished cheeks. His pout now mimicking the mouth of a fish.

"You're thinking you aren't a good omega, aren't you? That you can't be beautiful?" His friend said. The shorter omega, though an idiot as much as he wanted, could sometimes be sharp with the most unexpected things.

What else could Gulf be thinking? People had been calling him an alpha for years. Having them misinterpret him had put a toll on his self-esteem. Yes, he was called handsome multiple times but as a mediocre alpha at best. Aside from already being something anticipated from him as part of that group, an omega's beauty held a different kind of ethereal. So if that was all he amounted to, how could his omega be any different? Truth be told, he could amount to even less. To transition from one tertiary sex to the other, he had to change drastically to become similar to normal. Going beyond that would be close to a miracle.

Gulf could neither look into Mild's eyes nor could he deny his claims. There was no point, his friend wouldn't believe him anyway. They knew him too well.

"Look at me," the smaller ordered. The latter did so yet as slowly as possible. Gulf's eyes connected with deep orbs glimmering as it should and framed by furrowed brows.

"You're beautiful," a soft smile played on Mild's lips. "It doesn't matter if you're an omega, a beta, or an alpha. Even without the bloom, all I see is a beautiful person with a beautiful heart."

Mild reminded him of his mother. His words held weight and sincerity, love and affection. Warmth spread in Gulf's chest and his eyes softened. It could be that his friend was simply being true to his tertiary class. Gulf had no clue. Nonetheless, he treasured this part of Mild along with the entirety. Being away from his own mother, he'd never felt the separation between them because of Mild.

Gulf uttered no reply. Their eye contact served enough as a substitute. Mild knew that while Gulf appreciated the praise and was comforted by it, the latter still had doubt in his heart. They didn't know when the time would come when the larger omega was rid of such mentality. But Mild respected his decision not to push it so he let go of Gulf's face.

"Don't forget what I told you," he pointed a finger to the other, his eyes narrowed playfully. "Boat, stop eating and try helping for once." He called. To which the receiver, who had his mouth stuffed with food, mumbled an incoherent agreement. Gulf gave a soft laugh.

He would try. It was the best he could offer.

After another half an hour spent looking for something to combat Gulf's bloom, the head stylist, a.k.a. Mild, settled for the bucket hat. Boat had suggested a few things here and there but a Halloween mask might get their friend a ticket to the counselor's office. In addition, the hat was the only thing Gulf was comfortable wearing in public.

The three of them were currently walking in school grounds, their legs taking them to the next agenda of the day. It was convenient that they had their first 3 classes together. According to his two companions who decided to stick to his sides like glue, it made for better protection.

It hadn't been too long since they arrived and Gulf could already feel the heat of multiple gazes and hear the whispers that travelled in the air around them. His stomach was done in knots and he felt like an animal in a zoo. Frankly, if neither of his friends were with him, he would have had a panic attack in the middle of the hallway. His pulled at his hat, trying to cover whatever it was able. He tried to convince himself that this was normal for an omega in bloom. That as long as nothing relatively upsetting happened, it was fine.

* * *

Gulf especially loathed his classes today. The most embarrassing moments in his life were held during those periods of time as almost everyone couldn't focus on anything aside from him. Even their usual grumpy instructor had been unusually nice to him that it made him shiver unpleasantly. He opted to sinking in his seat between Mild and Boat everytime.

He had long taken back his initial protests against their insisting after a couple of stray hands had found their way to his shoulders, back, arms, or even his knee. Gulf omitted from telling them that bit of knowledge. He had no desire in making his friends become murderers. Instead, he told them he felt cold when he requested to change seats with Boat.

Classes for the first half of the day ended, much to his utter pleasure. As for lunch, they seated themselves at their usual table in the canteen. Gulf was quietly enjoying his plate of crispy pork with basil and his friends bickered as usual when a tall yet slim man approached them. Said man could've been mistaken as an actor with the cute and friendly smile he sent their way.

"Hey, hope I'm not bothering you but I heard those guys over there talk about your pretty friend here," his sweet voice flooded their ears.

"What?" Mild was the first to respond. The new character discreetly pointed a thumb behind him, revealing a group of whispering alphas.

"One's gonna come up and try to cop a feel at you. Heard them betting at the success rate," he had his lips pursed in a thin line. Gulf almost choked on his rice.

Before any of them could react to the stranger's claims, one guy from said group tried to nonchalantly circle their table. Gulf's vision followed his movements warrily but didn't make any moves. All of them anticipated in their places. When the intruder's hand moved slightly towards Gulf's blind spot, the omega's own hand moved like lightning and suspended it in the air. He was not about to fall for their tactics.

"Where do you think you're putting your filthy hands?" Gulf glared menacingly with his dark and cat-like eyes. The man nearly whimpered at the vice grip. His face contorted in confusion as he couldn't seem to comprehend how such a gorgeous being could be so deathly frightening.

"If I catch your stupid lot pulling stunts like this again, I'll wring your necks and feed you to the wolves," he threatened before he let go as his captive nodded frantically and ran back to his friends. Friends who were now laughing at the man's failed conquest. As soon as that was over, Mild, Boat, and the informant clapped with their mouths forming ooh's.

"Impressive," the stranger commented while Mild offered him a seat next to him, which happened to be across from Boat and Gulf.

"Not to sound rude but are you an alpha?" He asked. Mild was about to make some fists connect and food fly but Gulf stopped him. The darker skinned omega was used to these questions. If it had been Gulf from the past, he would not deny the allegation. Now that his friends knew, things were different. Albeit, the bits of confidence he had built up weren't enough for him to flat out say he was an omega. After contemplating for a few seconds, he shook his head and said nothing more.

"Thought so," the other grinned brightly. His reply seemed to have satisfied Mild. "I'm Kaownah, by the way."

"Nice to meet you and thanks for the heads up. I'm Gulf," Gulf gave a polite smile. "That's Mild beside you and this is Boat."

"Hello," he greeted despite the lateness of it all.

"So tell us. What brought you to our humble lunch table?" Mild asked.

"Was just passing by when I heard those jerks," Kaownah shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a good Samaritan."

"Give it up," Boat snorted.

"Fine. I got curious what the fuss was about in the canteen. My questions got answered the moment I saw this guy," he pointed to Gulf who really just wanted to finish his favorite dish in serenity. Heavens above please grant him his sole wish.

"Tell me about it. We've been so busy trying to distract mobs away from him and he has no care in the world," Mild sighed as though he carried the weight of the universe on his shoulders. The latter shot him a glare.

"I'm still pretty curious though. Are you in bloom?" This once stranger had absolutely no filter. Even more so than Gulf and that spoke volumes. Neither of the three needed to affirm as it was an obvious question with an obvious answer.

"Late bloomer," Gulf reasoned curtly when Kaownah's curious stare did not drop. The darker skinned felt a bit uncomfortable admitting to it after years in hiding. His decision to come out with the truth was a tough one but he had grown sick of lying. For once, he wanted to say something right.

"Wow, that answers a lot. But like, I've never seen such a gorgeous bloom! Honestly, it even took me a while to muster up the strength to approach you. I was rooted in place."

"That's our Gulf," Mild had a smug face on along with Boat. Gulf could feel the heat reach his ears.

"You're blushing! How adorable," Kaownah fought the urge to squeeze the omega's cherub cheeks. His comments weren't helping to stave off the flaming red that occupied the expanse of Gulf's face.

"Keep talking like that and we'll be good friends," Mild sounded similar to a doting parent, which frankly, embarrassed Gulf a lot more.

Howbeit, Boat had different thoughts as he pulled the taller man beside him closer in a protective stance. The beta's eyes were trained on something with so much intensity that it caught both Kaownah's and Mild's attentions.

Goosebumps littered Gulf's skin as the atmosphere filled with the clammy characteristic of freshly fallen rain. The kind he had been waiting for the clouds to pour once more. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach as his eyes dared to travelled to the source. In his field of vision, the beautiful glimpse of a structured figure and fair skin graced him. Just as he had imagined the bearer of the scent to be. The man was chatting with a beta who accompanied him through the throng of people that surrounded them.

Gulf felt light and fuzzy inside as he observed. The aura the man excreted was incredible. It was no wonder he was able to pull a crowd to him. He was grateful that he was already seated because he could have sworn he would've swooned by then. So this was what they meant when they said omegas were more sensitive to bigger auras.

This wasn't good. He felt the warmth in his body starting to rise. If it continued as is, another hell would break lose. In a public place with a larger populace than the precedent incident, no less. As he was about to stand up and run to the nearest exit, the alpha faded from view as the man turned to exit the canteen with his companions. He disappeared along with the goosebumps on Gulf's epidermis. The latter didn't know why disappointment washed over him. Said alpha hadn't noticed him and he was left there, staring after the remnants of the sparks between them. Or perhaps it was only a figment of Gulf's imagination.

"Whoa!" All three occupants of the table gasped, bringing Gulf back to earth in surprise.

"Gulf, what did you do? You're glowing," Boat's eyes were wide in fascination and admiration. "Not literal light bulb glowing, but breathtaking glowing."

It was then that Gulf had noticed that everyone had stopped to stare with their mouths ajar. A flush immediately flooded his tanned complexion from the roots of his hair to his knuckles. He pulled his hat over his face in an attempt to hide. His wish to eat his beloved crispy pork with basil in peace shattered in a glance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to post this before the clock struck 12 😔 But I was a few minutes too late.
> 
> Comments are highly appreciated! Thank you for reading ❤️


	8. Just Around the Corner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Mew's world once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's an update ya'll!
> 
> I'm not sure if this is good enough but I did my best. See, I'm still in a bit of a slump. Just a little. Hope you still like it tho~ ☺️
> 
> I post this work on Wattpad too, feel free to visit there if you want to.
> 
> Here's the link: https://my.w.tt/0J1NMzz9L6

Today, Mew had academic responsibility despite his keen observation of space between him and the university. If he had a choice, he wouldn't be here. After last time's incident, he wanted to hide in a hole, wallow in self-pity, and pray for forgiveness of his wrong doings. The place was infested with all types of students with different sub genders, including omegas. Omegas he had developed a cautiousness of. It was also the school in which the omega —Mew didn't want to call him so but he was— of his dreams currently studied at even if he hadn't encountered him yet.

Mew's past week had been riddled with paranoia. He was shaken by what happened. Flashes of letting his instincts take over haunted his mind. The helplessness he felt when he couldn't fight back against his insanity would long remain in his memory. He would be lying if he said it didn't keep him up at night. Mew was originally hard on himself, but with this, he was a lot more so. Now, the rut suppressor in his bag moved to his pocket where his dominant hand lay. His eyes kept wandering around his surroundings, and if an omega was near, he would step away like he'd been burned. He prioritized a safe 5 meter distance between the other sex, only going beyond it once deemed absolutely necessary.

Not a glimpse of the beautiful omega, who governed most of his intellectual processings as of late, could be seen since then either. While it relieved him of future conflicts he made up in his head after a 3:00 AM self reflection, it arose other anxious thoughts. Was the omega doing well? Where was he now? Did he get home safe? Was he safe in general? Or was he just as afraid of Mew as Mew was of himself? Honestly, the alpha was getting sick of his own inner workings. It was worry after worry with him. No wonder Run commented he had a stick up his bum in a more vulgar speech style.

"Mew, stop daydreaming and let's go," Run called.

They had finished their final class of the day and his friend was eager to go home and relax. Of course, Run was always with him. The beta was his key to having been dragged here after all, accompanied by Bosser's endless nagging. They made a tag team to be reckoned with. Mew's cringe-worthy whines and protests were ineffective against their strong persuasions. In fact, it had earned him a blow to his ego when they called him a chicken. So as redemption to his otherwise pulverized self-esteem, he went to school as though he was a 5 year old child on his first day of kindergarten.

"Just wait a sec. I'm not done packing up," Mew said as he shoved his notes in his bag.

"You know, I really feel like this happened before. I mean, you being slow," Run teased which earned him an eye roll from the latter.

"I'm not sure if it's going to change sooner or later," he threw back. Soon, they were already walking on their way to the school parking lot. They passed a small crowd of students chatting amongst themselves. Run was first to break the silence between them.

"That I.E.T. student's been the talk of the school recently," he blurted out for some small talk.

"You mean that guy we talked about?" Mew queried.

"Yeah, I even heard some of the professors talking about him. I even caught that his name's Gulf," Run let out a breath, his expression in honest awe. "I wonder what's up?"

"Probably just them being whipped for good-looking men," the alpha shrugged, not really as interested as his friend.

"But what's with the sudden hype?" Run knitted his brows upward.

"Speaking of, have you seen that really pretty person a few days back in the canteen? When you practically dragged us away from the place," the beta accused with a bit of annoyance lacing his words.

Mew remembered. It was at lunch. The usual group of people, his small fanbase, followed them to the canteen when he hadn't been particularly welcoming. Although he knew his fans would understand if he asked them for some privacy, he was against seeing their dejected faces. He loved them that much.

In all honesty, Mew hadn't seen the person Run was talking about. He was too busy attempting to distract the people around them. As soon as they reached the eating area, he turned to exit along with his beta companion in hopes of losing them. Said beta was less than pleased. Clearly ruffled and irritated when they got out, he had scolded Mew and told him about the ruckus in the canteen and the magnificence he saw.

"If you only stopped for just a bit," Run was exasperated. "He was so gorgeous! Everyone in there could barely eat with their jaws slack. Or maybe you could've gone on your own and left me there to ogle at beautiful people."

"I just saved your drooling mess of a face from humiliating yourself. Frankly, I'm starting to think you only know gossip about superficial appearances," Mew stated with a light heart.

"Oh, it's because you didn't see him and now you're salty. Besides, I wasn't the only whose mouth watered," his friend stuck his tongue out. The alpha just shook his head in disapproval.

"But it was weird, I couldn't guess which one he was," Run's expression immediately turned thoughtful. The amount of faces per second the man could make amazed Mew.

"Which one?"

"If he's an alpha, omega, or beta. I doubt he's a beta but he barely has any scent or aura. He could be an alpha, but he's so pretty. He could also be an omega, but the chances are kind of low." 

"Really? I thought he was an omega?" Mew commented.

"I thought you didn't see him!" His friend gasped.

"I didn't," the alpha let out a small laugh. "I actually sensed an omega when we were headed there. Unbelievably weak but definitely omega. I just noticed 'cause it felt different."

It was the prime reason Mew bolted out of the place. The moment he had entered, he knew there was an omega. He couldn't explain entirely how he knew, he simply did. It was food for thought though. There wasn't the unique scent or aura he normally sensed when distinguishing people's sub gender. If they were an omega, they would've had a soft, sugary air around them. If they were a beta, it would've been milder. An alpha would've had it darker or richer, similar to Mew's.

Surprisingly, the man in the eating area had nothing. It made him more prominent to Mew's senses. No scent, just a faint and —might he add— mediocre aura enough to know that there was indeed a living breathing human in the space. Even betas had scents. His mind instantly concluded an omega was there and that he was the same one who Run was referring to. Contrary to normal and logical reasoning, opposing contemplations would only increasingly addle Mew.

"That's weird," the beta said. Mew nodded in return.

"Hey, look! It's Kaownah," Run pointed to somewhere in front of them.

The tall and lanky beauty could be seen from a mile a way. As both Mew and Run described him, a show stopper in all its definition with his small face and large eyes. Kaownah was idling just around the corner, his attention directed elsewhere. Mew had heard the beta went to the same school as him. He and Run hung out with Kaownah sometimes but each time was outside of school grounds. Frankly, the alpha thought they should've run into each other sooner. So it was no wonder why Mew casually jogged towards Kaownah with Run right behind him.

"Kaownah!" He called with a hand up to catch the other's notice. It was a successful try as the receiver turned to their direction.

"P'Mew!" The initial surprise etched on his face changed into a charming smile in greeting.

As Mew approached closer and the corner came into view, dread washed over him and his breath caught in his throat. There stood the long and slightly crouched figure of the most gorgeous human being his dark orbs had ever seen. Said person's face held the familiarly enticing tan complexion and strong straight brows that framed endearing Bambi eyes. To make matters worse for the alpha's heart, the omega was wearing a bucket hat that definitely did not make him intensely adorable. Yes, Mew denied it because if he himself had affirmed it, he would have collapsed in a field of flowers after having a heart attack.

He did not ask to be attacked like this for this was torture in its purest form.

It seemed as though he was not the only one caught in surprise. The omega had flushed with wide eyes when his sight landed on Mew. They were trapped in each other's burning gazes. It felt as if time had stopped between them yet, in reality, it was but a fraction of a second. An instance Mew wanted to last if only they were in different circumstances and were not riddled with paranoia and anxiety. The alpha's hands slipped to his pocket where his rut suppressor was neatly tucked.

He heard Run gasp beside him. His eyes trained to the person who had Mew's full attention. Kaownah was an observant and smart beta but today, he was not. He seemed to fail in catching the tension in the air as his arms looped around the alpha's, which ended Mew's and Gulf's little staring contest. It was a mundane gesture between two close people but the way the taller man stiffened at the contact said a thing or two. Mew expected a viable reason as to why he wanted to reject the otherwise innocent behavior. Alas, the stare from the omega in front of them distracted him from further ponder.

"P'Mew, P'Run, this is Gulf," he introduced, his bright smile still plastered on.

"Nice to meet you!" He greeted a little too enthusiastically. The wai he gave was overly done. As if he had met a celebrity despite not even treating the alpha beside him as such. The omega was slightly taken aback but returned it with as much positivity he could. In the process, he took the chance to give wai to the alpha as well. Mew's momentarily statued self eventually responded.

"Wait, your name's Gulf? Are you an I.E.T. student?" Run gasped in a matter that looked like he struck eureka.

"Y-yes," the omega replied, a bit confused by the random barrage of questions. Gulf's voice almost had Mew on his knees. It was soft and high, just how he liked it. He mentality slapped himself for the ad-lib. The alpha was so close to combusting. Once he did, however, he wouldn't try to save himself.

"So you're the one we've been hearing about all over the place!"

"Uhmm," the omega started before Kaownah cut him off to rescue him from his awkward standing.

"Yes, it's how we even met. Right, Gulf?" He smiled at his taller companion. Gulf nodded, then, dared a short glance to Mew whose knuckles had turned white from balling his fist too tightly. Nail marks would be inevitable afterwards.

"Actually, I saw you at the canteen before. Mew and I thought you and that I.E.T. student were two different people," Run laughed. "I heard you were an alpha. Is that true?"

That comment earned him an elbow and a glare, which promised the beta death if he didn't stop saying unnecessary things, from the alpha. Mew disliked the blatant assumptions of one's tertiary sex, especially when the bearer of the sub gender had yet to give his own statement. Aside from that, Run had no clue that he was talking to the one and only omega who made Mew go feral for the first time in his life. This was a complicated situation they had gotten into. Kaownah, on the other hand, was at awe.

"Wow, was I like that when I first met you?" He asked Gulf. The darker skinned had his lips pursed in a thin line as he held up his forefinger and thumb to express an amount.

"Just a bit."

"I know it's late but I'm sorry," Kaownah offered. To which Gulf shrugged nonchalantly.

"What? What are you going on about?" Run, the clueless beta, had yet to pick up unless a kind soul would enlighten him. Kaownah decided to be that kind soul.

"He's not an alpha, Run."

"Then—"

"Oh, Gulf! I forgot to tell you about this guy here," the taller beta interrupted in order to avoid more conflicts and misunderstandings from rising. He pulled —borderline shoved— Mew a little closer. The alpha thanked his good balance. Without it, he would have gotten a lot nearer than intended.

"This is Mew Suppasit Jongcheevevat, a.k.a. my boyfriend," he cheerfully introduce.

Mew saw Gulf's jaw slacken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did that surprise you? Did it?! It sure did with me hahaha
> 
> Thank you for reading! 🥰


	9. What to Do?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gulf is mortified and he doesn't know what he should do.

Gulf could barely register anything in his head as he was tucked neatly in the back seat of Mew's, an alpha whose name he had just come to know because of Kaownah, luxury car.

If Mild or Boat had known he'd end up like this, they surely wouldn't have agreed to give him to Kaownah's safe —he doubted this at the moment— hands. His two friends couldn't tend to him as usual since they had a very stressing paper to pass and both had waited exactly 24 hours before the due date to actually start writing it. Even though he didn't mind it if he went home by himself, the two overprotective men refused to have the omega, when dangerous creeps were constantly on the loose, go on without them. Frankly, Gulf was certain they were too paranoid but he'd long decided to steer clear from arguments as he knew he'd lose to Mild's sharp tongue and booming willpower. If only Mild could be the same with his school works.

Luckily, Kaownah had it in his golden heart to assure their concerns, offering to accompany Gulf to his dorm. The both of them had gotten significantly closer. Only a couple of days went by since the beginning of the week but during which time, Kaownah could already be mistaken as Gulf's twin. Their friend group didn't really mind as they actually enjoyed the cute beta's company. He was as bright and cheerful as day. And despite Gulf's extreme introversion, the latter seemed to enjoy being with him. Although, what disturbed Gulf the most was that the beta could simply be walking down the hallway and people would start to greet him. He later found out that Kaownah was a mini celebrity due to his part time modelling career.

Refutes against the beta's idea were quickly shut down when the beta reasoned it was on his way as well. It came to their pleasant surprise that not only were Gulf and Kaownah taking multiple classes together —which they found out fairly early in their friendship one lunch break together— but they were also living in the same neighborhood. How they hadn't caught each other earlier went beyond them.

Oh, but when the beta had offered what he had, none expected the pair to bump into the alpha, apparently, Kaownah's boyfriend. Gulf wasn't sure. He'd heard Koawnah gushing over his boyfriend multiple occasions while they were on the topic of randomness but he had thought the other wasn't being serious about how perfect the beta's partner was. After simply assessing with a glance that the alpha was indeed the person who had been bothering Gulf's whole being for days, the omega could not function properly. And at the mention of Mew being his newly-found-friend's lover, his mind stopped working altogether.

Was he bothered? Absolutely. Why was he bothered? Again, he wasn't sure.

Gulf wasn't sure about anything these days. Neither when he suspected the alpha being the trigger to his heat; nor when Kaownah was seated in the front seat next to the said alpha working the wheel; nor when Gulf was next to another beta, named Run, who had the same enthusiasm as a hyperactive 7 year old. However, the sole omega in the car could affirm that he was akin to a chicken that lost its head with the suffocating awkwardness that surrounded him.

His bony hands, which fiddled with anything reachable and fairly stretchable, were placed on top the messenger bag on his lap. His toes covered in the material of his shoes were curled in a nervous retreat. The soft leather of the car seat not at all providing him the comfort he craved. Run offered small talk a while back but Gulf wasn't the type to keep the conversation going. Making the omega lead a conversation was like trying to light fire with damp wood. In the end, Run turned to the other two for some entertainment. Gulf could only stare blankly out the tinted windows to distract his eyes from wandering to things or people he shouldn't be looking at.

"Nong Gulf, where do you want to be dropped off?" The lanky omega was startled by Mew's voice and his head turned in immediate attention. He felt his heart quicken its pace. If the heavens above allowed him to melt on the spot, he would have as his eyes made contact with the ones in the rear view mirror. As if the alpha's voice wasn't enough, his orbs bore deep into Gulf's.

"J-just a little more ahead," he stammered out, his hands fiddled the strap of his bag with a tad more aggression. He hated how his voice came out.

_Highly impressive, Gulf._

"You know, that dormitory in my neighborhood? The one we usually pass by?" Kaownah chirped. Mew nodded. "That's where we want him."

When Gulf heard 'we,' his heart dropped. They had been here together before. Of course, it was obvious. If the two were genuinely together, it was inevitable to know where the other lived. They would have driven the other home after watching a movie in the cinema at late hours. Or after a late night walk at the nearby park, talking about sweet nothings and holding hands. A couple thing, for sure. Not that Gulf knew that since he'd never been in a relationship. Not that Gulf wanted similar things for himself since he'd never fantasized having someone like him enough to take him out on a date. Not at all.

It didn't take long for them to reach the dormitory. So after a quick exchange of blank goodbyes and thanks for the ride, Gulf trotted his way back to his dorm room with more than a full mind. The auntie at the reception showed an eye of concern towards the omega's disturbingly mechanical steps but didn't utter a word. Even as Gulf laid on his bed with his favorite panda tightly in his arms and the dark of the night enveloped the room, he didn't know what to do.

He'd been so shocked at the sight of Mew that he failed to notice how his body lacked the physical reaction he would have expected. Yes, the goosebumps still littered his skin. Yes, he still felt the little warmth that made its way from his head to his toes. Yes, the scent still intoxicated him. And yes, that might have been one of the reasons he'd gone into shock. Along with the abundant butterflies in his stomach brought about by the alpha's voice —or his entirety if Gulf were to admit— and with the fact that Kaownah had told him Mew was a taken man, the beta's taken man. But his expectation was another reawakening of that nightmare in the library. It wasn't though. Which was a blessing as it was a mystery. Maybe his hormones had finally grasped the meaning of finding inner peace.

Maybe his body decided to cease being the fucked up thing that it was.

It didn't help that Mew had been so kind. His gentle eyes matched the tone of his words and actions. So unlike the wild and uncontrollable alpha his two friends, who were currently suffering through their paper, had mentioned to him. In fact, Mew had even made sure there was an observed space between him and the omega. Discreet as the action may be, Gulf noticed and appreciated it. He always had an eye for details. Hence, he didn't miss the way the alpha's knuckles turned white when it clenched around the wheel a while ago. Said hands looked so big and strong to Gulf. He wondered how it would feel like to have them wrapped around him in a warm embrace.

_Bad. This was bad._

Gulf couldn't possibly be developing a tiny crush on his friend's boyfriend. It was all the alpha's fault. If he hadn't looked so gorgeous, the omega wouldn't have oggled at him. If the intense aura that enveloped the man hadn't felt so safe and warm, Gulf wouldn't want to be wrapped up in his embrace. If his voice hadn't been so comforting and smooth, he wouldn't have to stop himself from the possibility of melting. If only the alpha wasn't the same one who had tried to attack him and his friends on that fateful day. If only the alpha wasn't Kaownah's lover. He pulled the covers over his head and shut his eyes tightly in an attempt to sleep.

_Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Don't think about it._

It took him over an hour and a half to actually fall into a deep slumber.

* * *

Gulf woke up in a very sour mood.

He grunted on his way to the shower. The cereal he ate more akin to sand on his tongue than actual food. He brushed his teeth with an awful grimace etched on his face. He dressed with more groans and harsh pulls than conscious fashion decisions as he wore a pair of fluffy pink candy socks. A grateful sigh escaped him at the little joy the article of clothing brought. Though, his bad mood hadn't foiled him in going to school with his cute little bucket hat on his head. This time, it was khaki in color. Mild would've been so proud in his willingness to wear the thing.

The week was yet to be over so the battle for the day ensues. Mild and Boat stopped escorting him to school after the 2nd day. It took him the whole day and a handful of his super secret moves: his puppy eyes and a couple of pouts. It was unavoidable that they grunted small agreements thereafter. If they hadn't done so sooner, Gulf had a 40-slide PowerPoint presentation in his flashdrive he'd gladly use. Fortunately, his mood affected those in the vicinity so there had been less people to bother him on his way to class. 

He had no time and patience to deal with the effects of his little biological predicament. He swore if he had to deal with another person on his or her knees, begging for his number, asking him on a date, or giving him chocolates and flowers when it wasn't even close to Valentine's, he'd flip tables. God knows how many he had to deal with for the last few days. The watch on his wrist reminded him of the time. He was already late to class.

When Gulf sat down on the only available seat in the room which was already engaged in activity, his soul nearly left his physical body as he clutched at his bag, in the process of putting it down. Mew, who happened to occupy the seat right beside him, had his head turned to face the omega with a raised brow, clearly confused by the latter's sudden show of surprise. Not like Mew wasn't surprised himself since his eyes were blown quite wide as well.

"W-why are you...?" Gulf breathed out in a whisper, aware of his surroundings. His heart continued to hammer against his chest.

"Why am I here? I'd like to ask you the same question," the older couldn't hide the small smile on his lips. "I seem to recall this is a seminar for those in their doctorates."

The most intelligible, most rational, and most sensible answer Gulf could give was an awe inspiring " _Ow_?"

  
"No, I—" the youth scanned the room and saw not even one of the familiar faces of his Educational Technology class. Instead, he was greeted by a more mature age group exempting the alpha beside him. He couldn't be certain, though. The man looked 19 years old but if he was already taking his doctorate, he could be more than a decade older than Gulf for all he knew. That little notion was disconcerting.

"I—" He failed to form words and a blush crept up his cheeks and burned his ears. An amused chuckle fell past the alpha's lips and Gulf felt a lot more embarrassed.

"I should get going!" he finally succeeded albeit the pinched tone of his voice. His swift hands slung his bag on his shoulder and scrambled his way towards the exit. It could be said that it wasn't the most graceful journey as he bumped into a couple of backs and dropped a couple of their stationaries. In an attempt to pick up a fallen pen, he'd hit another person's head and elicited snickers among the room.

"Are you okay back there?" The speaker spoke through the microphone. As if the eyes that zeroed in on him weren't enough. Gulf was now a violent crimson down to his neck and fingertips.

_Earth, now is the right time to swallow me._

"Y-yes! I'm sorry. Please, don't mind me," he excused himself and hurriedly ran out. It would take just a few more seconds before he overheated. Getting away from there was the top priority. He shouted so many apologies while doing so that it was as though his tongue had been burnt. He didn't need to turn his head to find out the expression Mew had on his face. He could only imagine.

_Come on, Earth, I'm waiting here._

As soon as the door shut behind him, he put both of his reddened hands up to cover his face and ran while his cheeks puffed up in an internal scream. Caring about what others thought of him as he did was the least of his concerns. He had been blessed with an adequate amount of it back in the room he took a misstep in. Questions regarding himself and his actions fleeted in his mind. What was he doing? How did he even get there? Why was he the embodiment of stupidity?

His friends were right, he had the worst sense of direction in the world. Armed with 3 long years of going to the same university without missing a beat, he should be able to tell apart every nook and cranny. Yet, he still went into the wrong room. A space wherein the most handsome human being he could possibly dream of was attending a seminar which actually made everything much, much worse. The worst, in all honesty. He'd make sure to bring a compass with him from now on. He'd download a navigator, a map, or a GPS —maybe all of them— on his phone and then he'd never get lost again.

His internal monologuing halted abruptly when he bumped into someone. Hardly shocking as Gulf was that idiot who ran in the corridor practically blind with his hands over his face, including his eyes. This someone, however, was somewhat the remedial to the start of his bad day.

"Gulf!" Boat pulled his arms away from his face. A big toothy grin on his lips at the sight of the taller boy. "What are you running around like a headless chicken for?"

"Wait, are you crying?" The beta showcased a contortion of bewilderment, worry, and plain unadultered shock. The last being the current face of the day for Gulf. He hadn't even paid enough attention to feel the droplets that prickled the corners of his eyes. He had been so embarrassed that he started tearing up. Or maybe it was the fact that Mew, accompanied by an attraction that only just sprouted in his little heart, had seen him be the pathetic klutz that he was. His hands quickly went to wipe at them.

"What happened?" Boat questioned.

"It's stupid, Boat," the omega shook his head with a laugh. "I'm gonna download that fucking navigation app on my phone."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ON HOLD]


	10. NOT AN UPDATE II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, readers.
> 
> It is with my deepest apologies that I inform you that this work will no longer be continued. Initially because of school and a lot of other things, I've fallen out of the fandom. And as time rolled by, I no longer feel inspired to continue with this story. Actually, I've also forgotten what's supposed to come after this and it's become so difficult to write it because of that. Both this work and MewGulf brought me a lot of joy but sadly, those times have ended. I just want to say thank you to those who've read and have waited. I'm sorry for disappointing you all. I hope for better things in the future.
> 
> Again, thank you so much for all the support you've given this work. The little snippet following this announcement is actually the beginning draft to the 10th chapter which I was unable to continue no matter how much I tried. I thought of ending this with one last update but I could not. I'm very sorry.
> 
> I hope everyone is healthy and stays safe. Thank you all.
> 
> —K.

"So..." Mild began. "You're telling us you went to a different lecture room and missed your first period?"

Gulf could only nod. Boat managed to have the tearful omega sit down with him on one of the random benches scattered around campus. It only took the beta one distressed call to have Mild running as soon as his class ended. All to placate their friend. Who could blame them? Gulf was honestly too precious to resist. But they, Mild specifically, proved a little more useless than expected as he laughed out loud.

"You're so cute, Gulf!" He said.

"You aren't helping," Gulf glared at him, the little pout on his lips inevitable. The beta next to him offered a pat to his mildly ruffled head of waves. It did provide some comfort yet it also made Gulf feel much like a toddler.

"You don't understand how embarrassing it was. You didn't meet him so of course you wouldn't," the taller omega tried to explain. As he did, the scenes replayed in his mind. The way the older man's eyes crinkled in amusement and the chuckle that erupted from him which had Gulf feeling a lot more than just embarrassment. He hated how the memory caused heat to return to his ears.

"Ohh, does little Gulfie have someone who caught his eye?" Mild's demeanor changed into that of keen interest. Gone were his fitful of laughs and in were the narrow of his eyes. The mirth and mischief in them far from unnoticeable.

"This true?" Boat chimed in. Gulf flushed abundantly. Now, he was full of regrets. The slip of his tongue would end him if he didn't think of a good enough excuse. But of course, Gulf was never the expert liar.

"No!" The word a bit too drawn out and forced for a shot at a perfect lie. His friends definitely picked it up.

"Oh-ho! Little Gulfie has a crush," Mild teased.

"And here we thought you were impotent."

Mild certainly deserved the slap to the back of his head. Courtesy of none other than Gulf's right hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I accidentally deleted the chapter before this. I'm so sorry. I appreciated all your comments there and I'm so sad it happened. Thank you again for understanding back then and I hope you'll understand again. I'm so sorry this happened. I love you all. Please stay safe and healthy.
> 
> —K.

**Author's Note:**

> It didn't go too well. I'm sorry.


End file.
